her column of
Boers was then turned on to, and at 1.30 p.m. the enemy broke.
Major-General Penn-Symons was mortally wounded, and Major-General Yule
had taken over command at Dundee.

By next day a detachment of Boers had reached the neighbourhood of
Modder Station and had taken up a position near Elandslaagte.

This detachment consisted of some 650 Boers, with two guns, under the
leadership of General Koch, who was charged with the task of cutting off
the retreat of the forces at Glencoe and Dundee, and who had been sent
forward for that purpose. General Koch had at the same time practically
joined hands with the Free State Boers, who were in the neighbourhood of
Bester's Station on the Ladysmith-Harrismith line.

In order to reoccupy Elandslaagte and to secure General Yule's line of
retreat, Sir George White ordered out a force consisting of infantry,
cavalry, and artillery, of which four companies of the Regiment formed a
part, under the command of General French. These companies went out in
the morning by train under Major Curry, and detrained near Modder
Station.

One company and a Maxim gun under Captain Jacson and a squadron 5th
Lancers were sent at 11 a.m. by road to Pepworth Hill to guard the left
flank of General French's force against the Free State Army, which might
seriously threaten General French's communications with Ladysmith.

At 1 p.m. further reinforcements were sent out to General French, and
the three remaining companies of the Regiment were ordered to proceed by
train to Modder Station to join the wing under Major Curry. The seven
companies were then under the command of Major Park.

The Boers occupied two cones of some low hills overlooking Elandslaagte
railway station. General French's artillery came into action on some
high ground 4400 yards distant from the Boer position, and between the
two forces was an open undulating plain affording little or no cover,
and across which the attack had to be delivered.

The Gordon Highlanders and Manchesters were to attack round the Boers'
left flank, whilst the Devons were to make a frontal attack.

From the nature of the position which they had taken up, no commanding
positions affording flanking fire and protection to their flanks were
obtainable by the Boers. These were open and could be easily threatened
by the cavalry and the mounted infantry.

The Boers had two guns in position on one of the two cones, and with
these guns they did good execut